Two Flames
by beaucoup riant
Summary: She was his betrothed from the Fire Nation. He didn't love her at first until he was exiled. She protected him and followed him in his journey. She taught him how to be himself. What started as friendship blossomed to romance. [Full summary inside]
1. Chapter 1

**Two Flames**

**Author's Notes: **I never wrote an Avatar story before until nows. The reason for my OC character being with Zuko is because I always found him a sort of sad character. I personally like him, he's just misguided. Then when I saw him making out with Mai, I thought it was really weird. So I started dreaming of my own character to be with him. Lol.

**Disclaimer: **Don't own the anime or the characters, just the story as usual. Oh and the character of Jing Lai.

**Full Summary: **She was his betrothed, a loved princess in the East side of the Fire nation. He didn't love her at first, too caught up with his affections with Mai. Suddenly when he was exiled, she protected him and followed him. What started as a polite friendship ended with a beautiful romance. But could this last now that he was back in his home as a prince again and the temptation of his first love in his face?

**.:Chapter 1.:**

**Their Eyes Met**

They sat under a Spanish moss tree overlooking a small pond in the gardens. Mai didn't like the sun so they stayed under the shade in silence. He would stay by her side forever.

Mai's passive personality and aura kept himself calm too. They both had porcelain skin. Both their hairs were jet black. His was tied in a high pony tail, his face smooth and his expression often stern. Underneath his royal red robes that he often used to train in, he had solid muscles and beneath his flesh was the power to bend fire.

Mai's hair was always half up in buns and half down. She had a passive face and her expression was often emotionless as was her voice. Despite this, she had a knowledge of weaponry and marital arts.

Zuko was about to speak to his girlfriend of two years until a servant came to him and bowed lowly.

"Prince Zuko, your father would like to speak to you." The servant stated.

Zuko nodded and sent the servant away. He stayed with Mai for a few moments longer.

"Aren't you going to go yet?" She asked him in that monotone voice.

"I was hoping to spend more time with you."

"You've spent time with me, now you should go." She told him.

He hated it when she was like this. So they shared an intimate kiss and he stood up and left. Zuko often looked back to see if she was watching him leave.

She wasn't.

He walked along the long halls of the Chinese palace, dimly lighted with torches along each pillar. He walked with his chin up and shoulders back, a perfect posture with an aura of pride. His strides demanded power when he walked.

He waited until the servant announced him before he went in. Zuko's father was as always sitting behind a wall of fire, his face almost hidden. There was no longer a long table in front of the Fire Lord's, instead there were two sitting cushions.

"Zuko, sit." The Fire Lord commanded.

Zuko sat in front of his father. He noticed that there was a chair next to his father. His eyebrows furrowed. It was strange.

"I have called you here today to discuss your future. You are in need of a wife."

His ears perked at this. Was he telling him he should propose to Mai?

"Lord Hizashi, please come in." The Fire Lord gestured towards the left wall where a man emerged dressed in royal red robes with a small red hat. Zuko knew what this hat represented with its fire embellishment on it. This man was Lord of the East Fire Nation.

Behind him was a girl. In the dim lighting, she was slightly tanner than Zuko himself. Her hair was mostly up, held together by a hair chopstick with a cherry blossom branch design made out of pink diamonds and a cherry blossom dangled softly in the air. One side of her bangs were pinned with a similar clip, the other side of her bangs framed the right side of her face. The last third of her hair was down, flung to the right and curled slightly at the ends. This girl wore a long but simple scarlet red robe, tied by a lighter red obi. It was low with cuts at the sleeves to show her delicate neck, collarbone, and shoulders. It dipped low to begin to show the soft curves of her chest but it was very elegant. Zuko thought she would be a servant.

Zuko stood and bowed to Lord Hizashi and sat back down. He watched as Lord Hizashi sat down next to his father. He wondered why Lord Hizashi was here.

From his knowledge of Lord Hizashi, he had two children. Zuko could not remember their genders. His wife had died many years ago and he had not remarried since. Lord Hizashi had gained his power his own, unrelated to his father in any way.

"As I was saying, Zuko" the Fire Lord started, standing and pacing in front of him nows, "You are in need of a wife. I have selected one for you."

The Fire Lord waved his hand towards the girl who had been standing quietly near the door from where Lord Hizashi had emerged from.

"Zuko, this is Princess Jade Lai Long, daughter of Lord Hizashi Long."

The girl, Jade Lai, walked up to Zuko. In the light, Zuko could see the softest smile on her lips, almost as if it was a trick of light. She looked beautiful.

She didn't have much make up on, her eyes were lined with a deep purple eyeshadow and that was it. She wore simple earrings of ruby studs. She bowed when she was in front of him. Her eyes were a soft brown, it reminded him of chocolates. She had a thin face and she looked as if she was much older than she really was.

"Prince Zuko, I am so pleased to meet you."

Zuko bowed slightly in respect but inside he was furious. Although completely mesmerized by her beauty, he was seething in anger.

"And what of Mai, father?" He asked in a clipped tone.

Jade Lai walked next to him and sat down on the cushion. As she walked, he could hear the faintest sounds of bells. Perhaps from a bracelet, he thought. Mai didn't wear jewelry, she was very simple that way.

"This marriage will be more beneficial to us. I believe that you and Jade Lai would be a beautiful couple and would get along rather well, Zuko."

And the subject was dismissed. He was stuck for the week with her.

He stormed off afterwards out into the gardens where he and Mai had spent the morning together previously. Behind him, he could sense Jade Lai following behind him quietly. He wondered why she could so easily keep up with him at such a leisurely walk while he was practically running.

He huffed and sat down on a large rock looking out into the many flowers. She stood next to him in a matter of moments and Zuko looked away.

"You must be upset." She stated in the soft voice she had.

"Well when someone finds out they have to marry someone other than the one they love, it's upsetting, don't you think?" He snarled.

"I supposed. But I would hope we could at least get along a little."

"Tell me how old are you. You seem quite naïve."

"I am the same age as you are, sixteen." Jade Lai replied. "So...will you tell me about her?"

"Who?" Zuko asked.

"The person you love."

His expression softened. "Why?"

"I would simply like to know who they are and what's it like to be in love."

It sufficed him and so Zuko began to tell her these things. How they met, when they started to be together, her personality, the things they've done together, everything. She had this aura about her that made him trust her, easy to be able to tell your secrets.

By the time he had finished, the sun was setting. He looked at Jade Lai. She was very beautiful, it was hard to believe that back home, she did not have anyone that loved her in the way that Zuko loved Mai.

"Why have you never been in love?" He asked. He thought it would be fair to know about her if he had to answer her questions.

She looked at him with these hallow eyes that made him wonder where her personality had gone.

"I've never had many relationships with anyone, friends or boyfriends."

His brows furrowed, that made no logical sense. For a fact, now that his memories were coming back to him, Zuko knew that the Princess of the East Fire Nation was a very loved princess. It would make no sense if she grew up a lonely person.

"Why is that?" He decided to ask.

"My responsibilities keep me very much away from having any sort of human interaction past polite conversations. I've had to grow up much sooner than most children."

Zuko looked at her. He could tell she had a stone wall around her, protecting her from her inner most person.

Before he could ask her any more questions, a servant came to them and told them of the ball that would begin in the honor of Lord Hizashi's arrival in an hour.

They parted.

**.:That Night:.**

Mai was very angry with him but stayed by his side. Her eyes darted around in search for the Princess.

"Where is she?" She snarled.

Zuko hadn't seen her at all. Lord Hizashi sat at a table with his father and the other fire lords. He wondered where she could've been as her father didn't seem worried at all about where his child was.

"Yes, brother, I would very much like to see your future bride." His sister, Azula stated with a smirk.

"Oh, I wonder if she's pretty!" Ty Lee asked with a giggle. Mai growled and glared at her.

"They're not getting married."

She looks rather cute when she was upset, Zuko thought.

Suddenly all focus went to the Fire Lord. "Welcome ladies and gentlemen. Tonight we throw this party in honor of Lord Hizashi's arrival as well as his daughter, Princess Jade Lai. As of tonight, we will also celebrate my son, Prince Zuko's, engagement to Princess Jade Lai."

Appluse sounded and some even took a glance at Zuko. He picked up some whispers questioning what would happen with his relationship with Mai. He seethed.

"Also I'm sure that none of you have ever seen a Fire Dancer. Here, it is a nonexistent art. In the East, it is the most hardest type of art ever created. It is a form of dance but also a form of fire bending. So tonight I had asked Princess Jade Lai, the country's top Fire Dancer, to perform for us tonight." The Fire Lord finished.

There she was. She wore a short robe this time, up to mid-thigh, the color of red. Her hair remained the same. The sleeves of the robe was long, to the ground. She wore twin anklets on her tiny ankles with soft tiny bells and she wore red slippers. Her calves and thighs were toned.

The violins and flutes began to play. Jade Lai had her eyes closed and when a drum's beat came in did she open her eyes. She moved her feet softly, twirling with her arms up, the sleeves flowing like ripples of water around her.

"This isn't anything special." Mai replied.

Suddenly, Jade Lai dipped low and her flexible hands sprouted fire from her palms. She did more twirls, adding flips and complex steps. The fire moved around her, flames that seemed to glaze her skin.

Then the beat changed and the fire grew large. Everyone gasped in pleasure and surprise. Zuko found his eyes glued to the dancer.

Suddenly Jade Lai jumped up and flipped. In mid air she unfolded from her lip and twirled down. Her hands folded in front of her, fire building. Suddenly when she opened her hands, flames shaped in butterflies fluttered around. Jade Lai landed and bowed, the last of the flames dimming out.

Everyone clapped in amazement.

"Well that was rather nice." Ty Lee remarked, clapping.

"Yes, that was interesting." Azula replied.

Mai said nothing.

Zuko's eyes were glued to her, that had to be it. She had enchanted him with some sort of magic because he couldn't move his eyes away from her.

Coming up from her bow, Jade Lai's eyes met his.

And he swore he could see a flame in the shape of a butterfly heading towards him.

**Author's Notes: **End of first chapter! So what do you think? It's a lot of story telling but I still like how it went. So I hoped you all enjoyed and will review!


	2. Chapter 2

**Two Flames**

**Author's Notes: **Hm…I think I should mention that the reason why I don't think Zuko and Mai would make a good couple is because she's just…so emotionless! Even I can't stand it. And when I see them together, I think of it as very awkward. But I hope you all keep an open mind and give Jade Lai a chance. Enjoy and always review!

**Disclaimer: **Don't own the anime or the characters, just the story as usual. Oh and the character of Jing Lai.

**Full Summary: **She was his betrothed, a loved princess in the East side of the Fire nation. He didn't love her at first, too caught up with his affections with Mai. Suddenly when he was exiled, she protected him and followed him. What started as a polite friendship ended with a beautiful romance. But could this last now that he was back in his home as a prince again and the temptation of his first love in his face?

**.:Chapter 2:.**

**At First It Was Like Talking to a Wall, A Polite Wall**

Had it always been so quiet, this garden? They were sitting across each other in the garden again, this time in the sun. Instead of himself wanting to be there, he had been compelled to.

This time it was with Jade Lai, not Mai.

In almost every way, she reminded him of Mai. The emotionless look in her eyes, the way she held herself upright as if she had been dining with a politician rather than her fiancée, the polite statements she spoke in made him think very much of the emotionless girl he had in his heart.

So he angrily sipped his green tea, looking at everything and anything but her. She sat across from him between a small tiny table set up on the grass with a blanket beneath them. She looked just the same as she had when he first met her.

Zuko took an angry bite of his dumpling. They hadn't spoken but it didn't look like she minded. He sure as hell minded.

"Must you always be so quiet?"

Zuko looked up, shocked. He dropped the dumpling delicately in between his chopsticks back onto the plate.

"Girls are normally very talkative, I was expecting you to speak." He replied, composing himself.

"I was taught that when dining, the guest should never be the first one to speak." She replied. "But I thought that this should be an exception because you look like you want to burn these dumplings." At this she giggled.

She had a soft laugh that reminded him of the wind chimes his mother used to hang up by the windows. He found his lips slightly turning upwards. It formed into a smirk when he lifted up the dumplings again.

"Really?" Like this?" Zuko asked as he lit up the dumpling to ashes. Jade Lai gasped.

They sat there in silence for minutes after that, quietly sipping tea and eating tiny bites. They kept their eyes on each other as if eyeing the enemy, awaiting their next movement to know when to attack.

When the tea was gone and the servants had not yet come to take the plates away, Zuko spoke.

"So…tell me what is Fire Dancing about? I've never seen it before."

"Back home, it's a type of fire bending. You bend the fire to make it seem like it's dancing with your body. It is the light, the props, even the very steps of a dance."

"Why not something else? Why fire dancing? I mean you could just do regular fire bending?"

Jade Lai chuckled at this. She smiled and they both stood up. They left the plates for the servants and they walked along the gardens and around the palace.

"My father had always said that as a child I loved challenging and intricate things to do. Every time I was given something normal, I made it more difficult to understand. So when my father took me to do fire bending classes, I stumbled in on a Fire Dancing class." She told him. "After that, I never wanted to stop."

"Is it difficult?"

Jade Lai nodded. "It has been argued in my home that it is more difficult than fire bending."

"That is impossible! I mean you have to gather your chi and be able to exert it into flames!" Zuko argued.

"Yes but in Fire Dancing you have to all these things and at the same time make it whimsical, magical, beautiful. I mean you could never make a fire butterfly. In fire bending, it is just like regular marital arts and you exert strength by taking flames out. In fire bending, you stand still and shoot. In fire dancing, you must move and exert the flames at the same time. It takes many skills to do this without burning yourself." Jade Lai explained.

"No way! I bet you that I can make a fire butterfly just like you did last night." Zuko argued. His eyes slit at her. She simply smiled at him.

"Then fine! I'll give you two weeks."

"Two weeks?! I'll only need two days!"

"That's very difficult, Zuko. It takes sometimes even months to be able to learn how to create one."

Zuko puffed out his chest and brought a hand to his heart. He looked the image of a proud prince…in the most sarcastic manner.

"But at last! I am a prince! Therefore I must have a power much greater than those of normal citizens!" He said in a high tone.

Jade Lai and Zuko shared a laugh. Their first.

"Zuko! What the hell are you doing with her?!" Mai screamed in the distance. She stomped over, glaring angrily at Jade Lai. Jade Lai only tilted her head to look up at Mai.

Mai made a grab for Jade Lai, fingers wrapped around her tiny wrist and pulling her up from her seat. "Look girl," Mai snarled, "you better-"

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't call me girl." Jade Lai cut off. "Considering I am older than you, Lady Mai."

"Excuse me?" Mai hissed in response.

"I'm in front of you, Lady Mai. I did not think a girl of such youth would have trouble hearing what I had said." Jade Lai said politely. "But I shall say it again; I am older than you Lady Mai."

Zuko stood there, stunned. He had just witnessed Jade Lai being rude but yet she did it in such a way where she looked very calm, graceful, and often insulted in a polite manner. The undertones of her anger of being handled roughly by Mai was evident in the way she gritted her teeth and her clipped tone, as if she was biting back down harsh words.

"I heard what you said!" Mai shouted, pushing Jade Lai down into the ground again. "Zuko! She just insulted me!"

"Uh…"

"Are you just going to stand there?!" She shouted at him.

"Technically, Lady Mai, I had not insulted you. I was just stating a mere fact that must've slipped your mind." Jade Lai was standing now with her hands folded in front of her, smiling.

"Oh for god's sake, don't act like such an angel! You insulted me and you know it!"

"Mai, I think that's enough." Zuko suddenly stated.

Mai looked at him shocked with a mouth wide open. He tried to look through his memory to find a time when she might've ever looked shocked and he found none.

"ZUKO!" Mai managed to stutter out.

"Mai…please leave us." Zuko stated in a diplomatic tone that suddenly everyone could tell he was the Prince of the Fire Nation. Thin lipped, Mai left. After several minutes, Zuko turned around with a determined look on his face. "Show me how to form a fire butterfly."

The smile that had been lost returned to Jade Lai's face.

.:End:.

Author's Notes: REVIEW

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